Native medium access control support for beamforming

• US 9,467,217 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Cordeiro, Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsiung, Hai-Chang
• Application Number:
  US13/494,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20120250670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 370/334
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0491 using two or more sectors, i.e. sector diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods that enable native MAC support of beamforming are contemplated. An embodiment may comprise a mobile computing device, such as a laptop, with wireless communications capabilities, such as an integrated wireless networking card. The networking card of the laptop may transmit and receive various types of frame data using one or more beamforming techniques. Upon establishing a link with another wireless device, the laptop may sense that the link quality is degrading. Instead of having to reestablish a new link using dedicated BF frames and the conventional BF protocol, embodiments described herein may instead transmit beamforming information in various types of frames which enable the wireless communication devices to adjust the beamforming parameters in a more efficient manner. For example, the devices may include beamforming information in control frames and data frames and transmit the frames in a sweeping sector fashion.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a transmitter coupled with a medium access control (MAC) and to couple to an antenna array, to sequentially transmit a sweep of multiple request to send (RTS) control frames in a plurality of sectors about a periphery of the apparatus, wherein each RTS control frame is transmitted in a different sector of the plurality of sectors and comprises a sector identification (ID) value to identify the different sector, wherein a countdown value in each RTS control frame sequentially transmitted is decremented to indicate how many frame transmissions are left to selectively transmit in the plurality of sectors; and

a frame generation module of the MAC communicatively coupled to the transmitter, the frame generation module to generate the MAC RTS control frames, wherein further each of the MAC RTS control frames comprises a beamforming field comprising beamforming values which enable the apparatus to perform beamforming activities, wherein the beamforming values comprise the countdown value, the sector ID value, and a sector feedback value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter transmits the MAC control frames in a 60 gigahertz (GHz) band.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a receiver coupled to the antenna array, wherein the frame generation module is configured to generate an acknowledgment frame comprising one value of a plurality of sector identification values transmitted as part of an associated plurality of probe responses, the associated plurality of probe responses constituting a sector sweep for a wireless communication device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame control module is communicatively coupled with a receiver to respond to a sector sweep of MAC RTS control frames from another device, the frame control module to transmit a clear to send (CTS) control frame in response to the sector sweep of MAC RTS control frames a short interframe space (SIFS) after an end of the sector sweep of MAC RTS control frames.

5. A method, comprising:

sequentially transmitting, by a medium access control (MAC) via a transmitter coupled to an antenna array, a sweep of multiple MAC request to send (RTS) control frames in a plurality of sectors about a periphery of the antenna array, wherein each RTS control frame is transmitted in a different sector of the plurality of sectors and comprises a sector identification (ID) value to identify the different sector, wherein a countdown value in each RTS control frame sequentially transmitted is decremented to indicate how many frame transmissions are left to selectively transmit in the plurality of sectors; and

generating, by the MAC, the MAC RTS control frames via a frame generation module of the MAC communicatively coupled to the transmitter, wherein further each of the MAC RTS control frames comprises a beamforming field comprising beamforming values which enable beamforming activities, wherein the beamforming values comprise the countdown value, the sector ID value, and a sector feedback value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein selectively transmitting comprises transmitting, via the transmitter, the MAC control frames in a 60 gigahertz (GHz) band.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising generating, by the frame generation module, an acknowledgment frame comprising one value of a plurality of sector identification values transmitted as part of an associated plurality of probe responses, the associated plurality of probe responses constituting a sector sweep for a wireless communication device.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising responding, by the MAC, to a sector sweep of MAC RTS control frames from another device, the MAC to transmit a clear to send (CTS) control frame in response to the sector sweep of MAC RTS control frames a short interframe space (SIFS) after an end of the sector sweep of MAC RTS control frames.

9. A system, comprising:

an antenna array;

a transmitter coupled to the antenna array and coupled with a medium access control (MAC), wherein the antenna array is configured to sequentially transmit a sweep of multiple MAC request to send (RTS) control frames in a plurality of sectors about a periphery of the antenna array, wherein each RTS control frame is transmitted in a different sector of the plurality of sectors and comprises a sector identification (ID) value to identify the different sector, wherein a countdown value in each RTS control frame sequentially transmitted is decremented to indicate how many frame transmissions are left to selectively transmit in the plurality of sectors; and

a frame generation module of the MAC communicatively coupled to the transmitter, the frame generation module to generate the MAC RTS control frames, wherein further each of the MAC RTS control frames comprises a beamforming field comprising beamforming values which enable the system to perform beamforming activities, wherein the beamforming values comprise the countdown value, the sector ID value, and a sector feedback value.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the transmitter transmits the MAC control frames in a 60 gigahertz (GHz) band.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a receiver coupled to the antenna array, wherein the frame generation module is configured to generate an acknowledgment frame comprising one value of a plurality of sector identification values transmitted as part of an associated plurality of probe responses, the associated plurality of probe responses constituting a sector sweep for a wireless communication device.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the frame generation module is communicatively coupled with a receiver to respond to a sector sweep of MAC RTS control frames from another device, the frame generation module to transmit a clear to send (CTS) control frame in response to the sector sweep of MAC RTS control frames a short interframe space (SIFS) after an end of the sector sweep of MAC RTS control frames.

13. A program product comprising:

a non-transitory medium containing instructions to enable native medium access control support of beamforming, wherein execution of the instructions cause a machine to perform operations, the operations comprising;

sequentially transmitting, by a medium access control (MAC) via a transmitter coupled to an antenna array, a sweep of multiple MAC request to send (RTS) control frames in a plurality of sectors about a periphery of the machine, wherein each RTS control frame is transmitted in a different sector of the plurality of sectors and comprises a sector identification (ID) value to identify the different sector, wherein a countdown value in each RTS control frame sequentially transmitted is decremented to indicate how many frame transmissions are left to selectively transmit in the plurality of sectors; and

generating, by the MAC, the MAC RTS control frames via a frame generation module of the MAC communicatively coupled to the transmitter, wherein further each of the MAC RTS control frames comprises a beamforming field comprising beamforming values which enable beamforming activities, wherein the beamforming values comprise the countdown value, the sector ID value, and a sector feedback value.

14. The program product of claim 13, wherein selectively transmitting comprises transmitting, via the transmitter, the MAC control frames in a 60 gigahertz (GHz) band.

15. The program product of claim 14, further comprising generating, by the frame generation module, an acknowledgment frame comprising one value of a plurality of sector identification values transmitted as part of an associated plurality of probe responses, the associated plurality of probe responses constituting a sector sweep for a wireless communication device.

16. The program product of claim 13, further comprising responding, by the MAC, to a sector sweep of MAC RTS control frames from another device, the MAC to transmit a clear to send (CTS) control frame in response to the sector sweep of MAC RTS control frames a short interframe space (SIFS) after an end of the sector sweep of MAC RTS control frames.